Insane family spends 7 years at sea.

[techs]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/31/AR2010073103061.html?g=0

Crafton family enjoys rare closeness after seven years together at sea

After living the past seven years in this cabin the size of a hotel bathroom, the Crafton family seems in no hurry to clear out now. On a muggy, sun-drenched morning, all five of them -- knees just touching, lives completely entwined-- sit cheerfully in the sailboat that has been their home since they pulled away from this Severna Park dock in 2003.

Kalena, 18, who went through puberty and adolescence in this room, has her eyes fixed on a laptop slideshow of their travels that's playing on the galley table. For her, college awaits on land. Her mother, Kathleen, fingers a Melanesian carving she picked up in a trade during one of the family's countless island anchorages; the relaunch of her nursing career can wait until next week. Jena, 22, and Ben, 15, settle in for yet another telling of the family's greatest adventures (such as the three-day trek into the mountains of Papua New Guinea, or the village festival no white people had seen before).




They're just plain crazy.

 

[dabuddha]

That's a pretty big hotel bathroom

 

[dainthomas]

You're crazy. That would rock so much more than working some crap job in the suburbs and dragging the kids to soccer practice twice a week. Imagine everything they've seen that you'll never come close to seeing in your whole life. Especially those kids.

 

[Apple Of Sodom]

It sounds like they lived a dream. I wish I had the courage to do something like that.

 

[coldmeat]

wtf I was expecting some tiny little boat from the article. What kind of hotels does this writer stay at? It's not unheard of for families to live aboard sailboats sailing the world for years.

 

[Anubis]

am i the only person that immediately thought "Cptn Ron" when looking at the photos?

 

[Wyndru]

That's a pretty big hotel bathroom

Same thing I was thinking, the article makes it seem like they were on top of each other.

Still, too many years for that close of a family upbringing, I would go nuts.

 

[thescreensavers]

That's a pretty big hotel bathroom

lol yea, they said knees touching blah blah, I look at the picture and :hmm:

 

[Apple Of Sodom]

You're crazy. That would rock so much more than working some crap job in the suburbs and dragging the kids to soccer practice twice a week. Imagine everything they've seen that you'll never come close to seeing in your whole life. Especially those kids.

Agree 100%. Don't get me wrong, I love my life... but the only thing I can think of that would be better than this is being independently wealthy and doing this. Sailing the world has been my dream for years. I plan on doing it for retirement, saving money for a catamaran...but damn, if they can do it with kids... hmmm...

 

[WhiteFireDragon]

yeah that's pretty crazy. reminds me of that book and movie: the swiss family robinson.

 

[Drako]

Cool article - I wish I could take 7 years off and travel the world!

Oh, and insanity not found.

 

[Saint Nick]

Who did they have sex with?

 

[Homerboy]

lucky SOBs.
They basically grew up traveling the world and seeing things we will never get to see on TV, let alone experience 1st hand. Not to mention have experiences and likely a closeness with eachother as a family.

All that being said, that 18 year old is going to be ripe for the picking I'm guessing 🙂

 

[surfsatwerk]

Who did they have sex with?

Keep it in the family.

 

[ThePresence]

Who did they have sex with?

What do you think the native festival was?

 

[waggy]

nice see hat the Washingtonpost is taking after fox. making shit up to fit the story.

hmm the kids got a hell of a education but wonder how much they are lacking in math, science etc.

 

[bignateyk]

Wow, that's incredible. The headline makes it sound like they never left the boat for 7 years, when in fact, they would dock for long periods of time (almost a year and a half in one port in new zealand)

Sounds like they had a load of money to get them going though. Can't imagine the cost to buy a boat like that, and keep it going for 7 years with no source of income.

Would definitely be a hell of an adventure though. It would be a huge letdown for me and kind of depressing to have to come back and return to suburban life after that.

 

[Vonkhan]

That's not crazy - that's awesome. The experience, the knowledge, the thrill ... f*** sitting in a classroom or an office. You'll learn much more than sitting in any damn classroom & much more satisfying than staring at your computer monitor all day.

 

[Fayd]

You're crazy. That would rock so much more than working some crap job in the suburbs and dragging the kids to soccer practice twice a week. Imagine everything they've seen that you'll never come close to seeing in your whole life. Especially those kids.

yeah, those kids... who've been deprived of a social life and necessary development that comes with it for the past 7 years because their parents wanted to be special.

 

[lxskllr]

yeah, those kids... who've been deprived of a social life and necessary development that comes with it for the past 7 years because their parents wanted to be special.

LMAO! Those poor kids. I bet they're better adjusted than 90% of the people here. You really read these forums everyday, and criticize them as being lacking in social interaction skills. Fuckin' seriously?!?!

 

[bignateyk]

yeah, those kids... who've been deprived of a social life and necessary development that comes with it for the past 7 years because their parents wanted to be special.

Did you read the article? They haven't been locked on the boat for 7 years. They docked in the same port in NZ for a year and a half. I'm sure they've gotten plenty of social interaction. Probably a much wider variety of social interaction than a kid living in the suburbs their whole life.

 

[Homerboy]

yeah, those kids... who've been deprived of a social life and necessary development that comes with it for the past 7 years because their parents wanted to be special.

deprived? Its not like they were on the water for 7 years. the headline is horribly misleading. READ THE ARTICLE. They dropped anchor and went ashore countless times. Oftern for extended stays. I think a year+ in New Zealand.

Those kids are likely more socially adapted than any "normal" kid in the modern world.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

That stuff is not for everyone so it's kind of messed up to drag your kids along; especially not an 8 year old.

 

[dainthomas]

yeah, those kids... who've been deprived of a social life and necessary development that comes with it for the past 7 years because their parents wanted to be special.

OH NO! You mean they had to meet people from other culture and learn about the far corners of the earth instead of hanging out at the local Hot Topic and twittering their friends?!? The horror! 😱

 

[lxskllr]

I'm sure they've gotten plenty of social interaction. Probably a much wider variety of social interaction than a kid living in the suburbs their whole life.

But, but... They aren't well forged little cogs, ready to fill the expendable roles in society. Fuck, I bet they do their own thinking. We can't have undesirables like that running around in good society. They'll corrupt the whole system, and soon everybody's gonna want to think for themselves. Shit; it's the beginning of the end.